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GCC Traffic Week Launched

MUSCAT - Oman, which has one of the highest traffic mortality rates in the world, launched the annual ‘GCC Traffic Week’ together with the other five member states of the bloc.

The theme this time is ‘Beware of Others’ Faults’ and the focus is on spreading public awareness about road safety.
The fatalityratefrom traffic accidents in the Sultanate— 28 per 100,000 people, compared with the global average of 19/100,000, is one of the highest in the world.Official statistics for the past eight years indicate an alarming 6,000 deaths and 70,000 injuries, or an average of 750 deaths and 8,750 injuries, some permanently disabled, per year.
In 2009, although the number of road accidents dropped by 509 from 3,994 in 2008, the number of deaths rose from 951 to 953. The trend is apparently continuing this year with 68 people losing their lives last month alone; another 694 were injured.
ravindranath@khaleejtimes.com

• MENA